The subject matter disclosed herein relates generally to imaging systems and methods, and more particularly, to systems and methods for selecting image display parameters for imaging.
Computed Tomography (CT) imaging systems typically include an x-ray source and a detector. As the x-rays pass from the source through the object being imaged, the x-rays become attenuated before impinging upon the detector. The intensity of the attenuated beam radiation received at the detector is responsive to the attenuation of the x-rays by the object, with detector elements producing separate electrical signals responsive to the beam attenuation at the detector element location. These electrical signals may be referred to as x-ray attenuation measurements. Further, the x-ray source and the detector array may be rotated around the object to be imaged such that an angle at which an x-ray beam intersects the object changes. A group of x-ray attenuation measurements, or projection data, from a detector at one gantry angle may be referred to as a “view.” A set of views made at different gantry angles during one revolution of an x-ray source and detector may be referred to as a “scan.” In an axial scan, projection data is processed to construct an image that corresponds to a two-dimensional cross-section or slice of an object being scanned
An image may be reconstructed, for example, using a technique referred to as a “filtered back-projection technique.” This process converts the attenuation measurements from a scan into discrete integers called “CT numbers” or “Hounsfield Units” (HU). These HU's are used to control the brightness of a corresponding pixel on a cathode ray tube or a computer screen display in a manner responsive to the attenuation measurements. This integer conversion, or scoring, allows a physician or a technician to determine the approximate density of matter based on the intensity of the computer display.
Various parameters describing or defining an image being acquired may be adjusted, for example, to reduce a dosage level, to account for a smaller object being imaged (such as a smaller patient such as an infant or child), to account for a change in image reconstruction technique (e.g., a different type of software), or the like. However, when parameters at which a scan is performed (and/or corresponding to the reconstruction of an image) change, the appearance of an image produced based on the scan may change. Even if image quality is maintained, the image may appear differently than an image expected by a practitioner, resulting in potential confusion to a practitioner, inconvenience to a practitioner, lack of confidence in a diagnosis made using the image, or the like.